Who do you call when someone dies at home in WA?

For an expected death, call the person's GP or palliative care team, then the funeral director. For a sudden or unexpected death, call 000.

Can you keep a body at home overnight in Australia?

Yes. There is no legal time limit in Western Australia. Many families spend several hours with their loved one before the funeral director is called.

Does the Coroner get involved when someone dies at home?

Only if the death was unexpected, unexplained, or the doctor cannot certify a natural cause. Most expected deaths at home are certified by the GP with no Coroner involvement.

What happens in the first 24 hours after someone dies at home?

If the death was expected, call the person’s GP or palliative care team to certify the death, then call a funeral director. If the death was sudden or unexpected, call 000; paramedics and police attend and the Coroner may be involved. There is no need to rush. The funeral director then transfers your loved one into care, usually within a few hours.

Step 1: Confirm the death and call the right person

Expected death (the person was under a doctor’s care or receiving palliative care): call their GP, the palliative care service or the after hours locum. A doctor must attend or be satisfied of the cause of death to issue the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. Do not call 000 unless you are unsure whether the person has died, because paramedics are obliged to attempt resuscitation without specific documentation.

Unexpected death (sudden, no recent medical care, or an accident): call 000. Paramedics will confirm the death and police attend as a routine procedure in Western Australia. If the doctor cannot certify a natural cause, the death is reported to the Coroner’s Court of WA, and the Coroner arranges the transfer.

Step 2: Take your time

Once death has been confirmed, you do not have to do anything immediately. Families often sit with their loved one for a few hours, call close relatives, or wait for a family member to arrive. There is no legal time limit on how long a person can stay at home in WA, although Perth’s climate means a transfer within about 24 hours is sensible.

Step 3: Call the funeral director

Gift of Grace Funerals answers 1300 856 862 24 hours a day, every day. We will ask a few simple questions, confirm the doctor has attended, and arrange a gentle, unhurried transfer to our mortuary care facility in O’Connor. Our transfer team is respectful, discreet and used to homes, hospices, nursing homes and hospitals across Perth.

Step 4: What we do in the first 24 hours

We contact the doctor’s surgery for the medical certificate, begin the cremation permit or burial paperwork, and book a time to meet with you, usually within a day or two. You do not need to make any decisions about the funeral on the first day. If the Coroner is involved, we liaise with the Coroner’s office and let you know when your loved one can be released to our care.

Things you do not need to do on day one

You do not need to notify Centrelink, banks, superannuation or the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages on the first day. We register the death for you. You do not need to choose a coffin, a venue or a date. All of that happens at the arrangement meeting.

Talk to a Perth funeral specialist

Gift of Grace Funerals is a family owned funeral home at 15/11 Sainsbury Road, O’Connor, serving families across Perth 24 hours a day. Call 1300 856 862 or see our funeral packages and prices.

Last reviewed September 2026. Prices are GST inclusive and current at the time of writing.